The invention relates to semiconductor modules.
Semiconductor modules are used, inter alia, in power conversion technology, e.g., in inverters, or in power supply technology, e.g., for driving electric motors. As such modules produce waste heat, efficient cooling is required to avoid overheating.
In conventional semiconductor modules the semiconductor chips of the module are arranged on the top side of a common base plate. The bottom side of the base plate may be brought into thermal contact with a heat sink which is not necessarily part of the module. In some conventional embodiments, the modules are screwed together with the heat sink by use of screw holes formed in the base plate. For this, the base plate requires sections which serve for arranging the screw holes. As such base plates usually include expensive materials like copper or aluminum, such materials are wasted for providing the screw holes only. Hence, targets of cost reduction ask for size reduction of base plates in which now screw holes are required.
Then, for quality control reasons, after completion of such modules a number of functional test procedures are to be executed. In case failures, e.g., of a defective power semiconductor chip, which occur during such test procedures, the complete module needs to be eliminated if disassembling the module is uneconomical, or, e.g., if the module is sealed with a pottant, impossible.
For these and other reasons, there is a need for the present invention.